Chapter 10 - The Reckoning of Blood
The storm inside Nathaniel’s mind was far more destructive than the Atlantic gale raging outside the estate windows. Within sixty seconds of hearing the recorded confession, the grief-stricken, conflicted billionaire vanished, replaced by an immensely powerful, terrifying force of nature.
"Marion," Nathaniel snapped, his voice dropping into a register of pure, icy lethal authority. "I want the best bail bondsman in New York at the Nassau County precinct in twenty minutes. Transfer five million dollars cash immediately."
"Already done," Marion replied smoothly, her fingers flying across her tablet. "I’ve also contacted the State Attorney General. But Nathaniel... who sent that audio file?"
"I don't care if God himself sent it," Nathaniel growled, grabbing his heavy dark overcoat from the chair. "Find out where that recording was taken. I want every private security firm on our payroll tracking down Richard Vance and Sloane Whitaker. Now!"
Victoria Reed stood frozen by the fireplace, her face completely drained of color. For the first time in her aristocratic life, she realized the devastating magnitude of the destruction her prejudices had caused.
"Nathaniel..." Victoria whispered, her voice trembling with genuine remorse. "I... I truly believed—"
"If anything happens to Grace in that precinct," Nathaniel interrupted, turning his back on his mother with cold disgust, "you will pack your bags and leave my life forever. Do not be here when I bring her home."
Nathaniel stormed out of the library, taking the grand stairs three at a time.
Meanwhile, in a sleazy, low-end motel three miles near the Long Island expressway, Richard Vance was sitting on a stained mattress, counting thick stacks of hundred-dollar bills from a duffel bag. Sitting across from him, looking utterly terrified, was Mrs. Gable.
"We need to leave now, Richard!" Mrs. Gable pleaded, wringing her hands nervously. "The police arrested Grace, but Mr. Reed has army of private investigators! If they trace those forged invoices back to my office—"
"Shut up, old woman!" Richard snarled, throwing a stack of cash into his bag. "Sloane Whitaker gave us the money. The maid is in jail. In two hours, I’m on a flight to Cabo, and you can hide in upstate New York. Nobody is tracing anything."
Suddenly, the heavy wooden door of the motel room shattered inward with an explosive crash.
Wood splinters flew across the room as four massive, combat-trained private security operatives dressed in tactical gear surged into the space. Before Richard could even reach for his pocketknife, he was tackled forcefully onto the concrete floor, his face slammed hard against the carpet, his arms twisted brutally behind his back.
Mrs. Gable screamed, dropping to her knees in absolute terror.
Stepping slowly through the ruined doorway, his dark coat damp from the rain, was Nathaniel Reed.
He didn't look like a corporate executive. He looked like an executioner. He walked calmly into the center of the room, standing directly over the pinned, bleeding Richard Vance.
"Richard Vance," Nathaniel said softly, his voice dripping with pure venom. "You chose the wrong man’s family to destroy."
Richard spat blood onto the floor, trying to sneer. "You can't do anything to me, billionaire! The police have your necklace! My sister is going to prison!"
Nathaniel slowly crouched down, pulling the encrypted iPad from his coat pocket, playing the recorded bar confession directly in front of Richard’s face.
Richard’s eyes went wide with pure terror. "Where... where did you get that?!"
"Sloane Whitaker didn't trust you," Nathaniel revealed with a cold, terrifying smile. "She recorded your meeting at the bar as insurance against you blackmailing her later. And when my security team raided her Manhattan penthouse thirty minutes ago, she traded you to save herself from federal conspiracy charges."
Mrs. Gable burst into hysterical sobs. "Mr. Reed! Please! It was all his idea! I was tricked! I didn't mean to hurt little Oliver!"
Nathaniel slowly stood up, turning his icy gaze toward the weeping housekeeper. "You betrayed a child who trusted you, Mrs. Gable. You framed an innocent girl who never offered you anything but kindness. You will spend the next fifteen years of your miserable life in a maximum-security state penitentiary."
Nathaniel turned back to his head security operative. "Hand them over to the State Police. Ensure the District Attorney files full corporate conspiracy, grand larceny, and extortion charges without option for bail."
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"Understood, Mr. Reed," the operative replied, slamming Richard’s head back down onto the floor.
Nathaniel turned on his heels and walked out into the pouring rain. He didn't care about the stolen millions, the diamonds, or the legal prosecution. His heart was screaming for only one thing: to reach the woman he had failed, and beg for her forgiveness before it was too late.
